title: Acute schistosomiasis in European students returning from fieldwork at Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schistosomiasis is common in many African regions and poses a risk for travelers and the local population. So far, schistosomiasis in travelers or expatriates returning from the Tanzanian bank of Lake Tanganyika has not been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a group of students who sought treatment with signs of acute schistosomiasis after having returned from Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania. Information as to travel and exposure as well as clinical and laboratory data were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Schistosomiasis was diagnosed in 8 of 16 students from Berlin, Germany, who had returned from a 2- to 3-month stay of fieldwork in Kigoma District at Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania. All 16 students reported frequent freshwater exposure at the lake. Six patients showed signs of acute schistosomiasis and had fever, and some of them also had cough, weakness, headache, or abdominal pain. Eosinophilia was present in five of the six symptomatic individuals. Notably, two serologically enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-positive individuals did not report or present with symptoms or abnormal laboratory parameters. Schistosoma mansoni eggs were found in one symptomatic and one asymptomatic individual each. Blood and stool samples from the other eight individuals who were equally exposed to freshwater yielded negative results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of an outbreak of acute schistosomiasis imported from the Tanzanian shore of Lake Tanganyika and highlights the risk for travelers and the local population of acquiring the infection in that part of Tanzania. It provides arguments for routine serological screening for schistosomiasis in individuals who had prior freshwater contact in endemic areas, irrespective of symptoms or other laboratory findings.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ignatius
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Friedrich-Jaenicke
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dieckmann
authors.forename: Gundel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Harms
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poppert
authors.forename: Frank P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Mockenhaupt
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000469:parasitology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium / Q000276:immunology*; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000469:parasitology; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000469:parasitology; D013334:Students; D013636:Tanzania / Q000208:ethnology; D014195:Travel; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth